NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Beloit volleyball dropped a hard-fought non-conference match to host St. Mary's (Ind.), falling in three sets, 25-18, 25-15, 25-16, this evening at the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex. The loss drops Beloit to 4-5 on the season, while St. Mary's improved to 8-5.
Beloit opened with some fight, riding kills from Selin Tufte (Clarkdale, Ariz.) and Naomi Murphy (Dubuque, Iowa) to stay within striking distance through the middle of the frame. A 15-12 Beloit deficit turned into danger territory as St. Mary's used a service run from Lexi Szymanski to pull ahead 16-12. Adelaide Schmitt (Aurora, Colo.) gave Beloit a spark with a service ace and a kill exchange that trimmed the margin to 22-18, but St. Mary's closed it out behind Caroline Carens for a 25-18 first-set win.
The second set got away from Beloit in a hurry. Maddy VanBlack served a stretch that saw St. Mary's jump to an 8-1 lead, and Beloit never recovered. Madalyn Huizel (Faribault, MN) and Tufte each found kills late to make the score respectable, but St. Mary's closed it out 25-15.
Beloit's best chance to extend the match came in the third set. Trailing 20-12, Beloit rattled off a mini-run behind Kierra Rayne Hoover (Albuquerque, New Mexico) and Murphy, cutting the deficit and forcing a Beloit timeout at 23-15. Ultimately, Carens delivered the match-clinching kill to complete the sweep, 25-16.
Tufte led Beloit's attack with 5 kills on the match (17 total attempts) and added 2 assisted blocks. Murphy was Beloit's most efficient hitter in flashes, finishing with 4 kills and a team-high 4.5 points, including a perfect 2-for-2 swinging set in the third frame.
Madeline Holthaus (Saint Paul, MN) contributed 3 kills and a team-high 3.5 points, along with a block assist. Schmitt, Beloit's libero, anchored the back row with a .922 reception percentage on 51 attempts and chipped in a service ace. Hoover provided a spark off the bench with 4 kills, including a key swing during Beloit's late third-set rally.
Aaliyah Gerard (Aiea, HI) ran the Beloit offense for large stretches, dishing out 21 assists on the night.
The Buccaneers return to action on Friday, October 2nd when they head to Dubuque, Iowa and Loras College. First serve from Lillis Court is set for 7 pm.
